The disclosure relates to recycled thermoplastic compositions comprising recovered poly(arylene ether).
Thermoplastics are increasingly important as materials useful in the manufacture of a wide variety of items. It has long been acknowledged that the recycling of thermoplastics is highly desirable to decrease the waste stream and conserve precious natural resources. The recycling of thermoplastics has been a challenging endeavor due, in part, to the wide variety of thermoplastics in use and the difficulty in separating them. As a result recycled thermoplastics are frequently contaminated with other thermoplastics in levels such that the recycled thermoplastic is suitable for use in a narrower range of applications than virgin thermoplastic. This is further complicated by the fact that within a single type of thermoplastic there may be a wide range of grades and types with significant variability in physical properties. Additionally, the commingling of some thermoplastics, which would be compatible by themselves, is unsuccessful due to the presence of additives.
One approach to this problem has been to limit the recycle material to a small segment of available material in a way that allows only a very limited variability in the composition of the recycle stream. Another approach has been to provide commingled products that have limited performance profiles. These products would be limited to applications that have very low demands on the material. These approaches have significant limitations, either in feed streams that are available, or in outlets for low performance profile recycle blends.
Accordingly, there is a need for a thermoplastic composition comprising recycled thermoplastic that can be used in a wider range of applications.